


It's Horribly Romantic

by CaptainErica



Category: Big Bang (Band), K-pop
Genre: Daesung is definitely not a faerie, M/M, Prophetic Dreams, faeries are real, jiyong is the prettiest faerie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-08 08:19:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7750288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainErica/pseuds/CaptainErica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jiyong is most certainly not real, and that's a shame, Daesung thinks, because he's absolutely perfect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In all the world there was no one, and nothing,  _ quite _ like Jiyong.

 

A Faerie by birth and a prince in bearing and by general agreement, Jiyong was perfect.

 

Jiyong was also a figment of Daesung’s imagination. Or at least, he  _ thinks _ that Jiyong is.

 

You see, Daesung only ever sees Jiyong when he’s dreaming. This would, of course, make any sane person assume that the person in question is nothing more than brain waves firing throughout his sleepy brain. 

 

It’s really too bad that Jiyong isn’t real, Daesung thinks as he sits at the back of a conference his company had convinced him to attend. Jiyong being real would make Daesung’s life much better.

 

For one, he thinks as he leans forward in his combination desk and chair to cradle his head in his hand, Jiyong being real meant that Daesung wouldn’t be _lusting_ _after_ an imaginary being. 

 

For two (for another? For second?), if Jiyong were real then faeries would  _ also _ , by extension, be real. This would be good on a number of fronts, but mostly because it would be  _ cool _ .

 

And finally (Thirdly?), if Jiyong were real, then Daesung could conceivably get up the courage to leave his job and find something  _ better _ .

 

Unfortunately, Jiyong most assuredly  _ isn’t _ real. Daesung lets out a sigh and tunes back into the lecture.

***

 

On bad days Jiyong could be found pacing aggressively around the upper balcony of the palace that he lived in under the rule of the King of the Faeries, his guardian.

 

Today was a  _ bad day _ .

 

“My Lord,” Came a hesitant voice from the doorway. Jiyong rounds on the faerie standing there, his eyes blazing and agitation dripping from his every pore. 

 

“What. Do. You. Want. Seunghyun?” He asks, biting out each word with distaste. 

 

Seunghyun flinches only a little bit, but valiantly stands his ground. “Ah, I see that you are busy...so I won’t take up too much of your time.” He says, his deep voice losing its hesitancy as he speaks. 

 

Jiyong elects not to answer, his eyebrow quirking up and his arms crossing over his chest the only indication that he even heard Seunghyun.

 

“Yes, uh, the Dreamweaver would like to speak with you. He said it was about some human? I don’t really…” He trails off, his eyes catching Jiyong’s tapping foot. “Right, well, you should go talk to him.”

 

“Mm” Jiyong hums in agreement, his agitated eyes never leaving Seunghyun’s face. 

 

“My Lord.” He says, bowing slightly before backing quickly out of Jiyong’s line of sight.

 

Once Seunghyun is gone, Jiyong turns back to look out over the balcony. The one he’s on is the largest in the building. It looks out over the rear of the palace, which includes the vast expanse of the walled-in gardens and the forest just beyond. He likes it here because it’s big enough that he can pace freely if he so wishes, or he can lounge on one of the many comfortable chairs strewn about the expanse.

 

He feels his anger slowly ebb away, leaving behind the frustration and anxiety that had been eating away at him for  _ months _ . This isn’t necessarily a better situation, he thinks, but he’s stationary now, so he can’t be accused of wearing a hole in the ground with his pacing.

 

He should, he muses as he lets his eyes trace the horizon, probably go speak with the Dreamweaver. If the Dreamweaver needs to speak with him, then maybe he knows something that can help him. Maybe he knows something that can  _ fix him _ .

***

 

“Please don’t fall asleep during my panel.” Youngbae whispers to Daesung from beside him. A bright, if not a little sleepy, smile crosses Daesung’s face.

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” He says brightly. Youngbae rolls his eyes. “No, really. The last presentation was about  _ drills _ .” He says the last word with an overabundance of acid in his voice. Youngbae laughs and claps him on the back.

 

“That seems highly unlikely, unless you mean that it was about fire drills and emergency procedures, in which case I’m  _ highly disappointed _ in you for not having paid attention.” He responds, and Daesung laughs in return.

 

“Yeah...that was probably it.” He shrugs. “I do promise not to sleep during your presentation. It’s the only reason I even agreed to come: to be your cheerleader!”

 

Youngbae gives him a flat look and pushes him forward. “Right, anyway.” He says, fighting off a light blush. Daesung laughs: he really enjoys Youngbae’s embarrassment. 

 

“You’ll do great, I promise.” Daesung says, and Youngbae rolls his eyes. 

 

“Right, I’m sure. Let’s get something to eat though. Maybe it’ll help you stay awake.” Youngbae suggests, his eyes on the food court before them. 

 

Youngbae pushes him forward, and Daesung obliges him. He really does need to start paying more attention, he thinks as Youngbae directs him to a table and then disappears. There was something about this conference, however, that made it hard for him to keep his eyes open.

 

“Pumpkin or red bean?” Youngbae asks as he sets down a tray.

 

“Red bean.” Daesung says, swiveling around to face the table and the bowl of red bean stew that Youngbae deposits before him. He eyes the rest of the food that Youngbae is arranging on the table, and laughs. “You were gone for like 2 minutes! How’d you get so much food?”

 

Youngbae shrugs, a small smile pulling at his mouth. “Magic. Are you sure you didn’t fall asleep while I was gone?” He asks, and Daesung sticks his tongue out at him.

 

“I stayed perfectly awake.” He says, and Youngbae raises his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Thank you for the food.” He says with a bright smile, and Youngbae rolls his eyes.

  
“Dig in, I hope it’s good.” He returns, and Daesung shrugs before digging in with gusto.


	2. Chapter 2

“You asked to speak with me?” Jiyong asks, and the Dreamweaver looks up from one of the many bowls scattered throughout the room. 

 

Jiyong hates visiting the Hall of Dreams. Situated on the right side of the palace, the Hall is made up of 6 rooms, all of different sizes and all very dark. The Dreamweaver changes very infrequently, with a new one picked through dreams (who would have thought?) after one passes on. The current Dreamweaver, who leads a team of 20 Dream Faeries, is barely old enough to be leading anyone. Jiyong often can’t stand the young faerie, but there is very little he can do.

 

Especially now.

 

“Yes.” He says, his young face glowing blue from the bowl before him. 

 

After a couple of moments, Jiyong gets impatient. “And?” He asks. The Dreamweaver blinks his eyes slowly, owlishly, before responding.

 

“Your case.” He says, before pausing again, a line of worry creasing his brow. He shakes his head and looks back down at the bowl before him. “Your dreams have been gentle of late, my Lord.” The Dreamweaver says finally.

 

Jiyong almost screams.

He holds it back at the last moment though. “Yes, I’m aware.” The Dreamweaver doesn’t make a move to continue speaking, so Jiyong lets out a sigh. “What did you want me for?” He asks, trying very hard not to be rude.

 

“Ah, yes, right.” The Dreamweaver says, standing up suddenly and almost knocking over the bowl and falling over. Jiyong reaches out automatically, but the young faerie rights himself before Jiyong can reach him. “I have found a human.”

 

Jiyong just looks at the Dreamweaver for a couple of seconds, wondering if there would be any further information. When none is forthcoming, Jiyong closes his eyes in the hopes of calming down before he speaks. 

 

“While I am very proud of your achievement,” He starts, before pausing to reign his temper in again. “I wonder what this  _ human _ has to do with you speaking to me.”

 

The younger faerie looks at him like  _ he’s _ the dumb one, and Jiyong wonders briefly how mad the King would be if he killed the boy.

 

“You’ve been dreaming. I know you have been.” The Dreamweaver says, his normally smooth brow furrowed. He turns away from Jiyong again, looking about him quickly before his eyes land on a bowl set on a short pillar. “I make all of the dreams.” He says, and Jiyong raises an eyebrow. “Not  _ all _ of them. I don’t  _ make  _ them all, either. But I can see every dream and I can make them, and I’ve been following…” He trails off here, grabbing something from a nearby shelf and beckoning (without looking) for Jiyong to come and stand by the new bowl.

 

“So, you’ve been letting me be plagued by these  _ dreams _ ,” He spits out the last word, because honestly, they’d been much closer to  _ nightmares _ . “For  _ months _ while you sat around here and absent-minded your way through life?”

 

The Dreamweaver pauses for a moment and actually looks up at Jiyong. There’s a hint of sadness in his young face, and Jiyong almost feels bad about snapping. 

 

“I can’t  _ stop _ dreams...I can shape them if I must.” His brows scrunch together as though he were trying to come up with the best way to explain what he means. “Some dreams are important.” He says finally, and Jiyong just gives him a flat look: there is nothing he can say to that.

 

“Right. The human?” He presses, and the Dreamweaver looks at him for a moment, a frown marring his features. It’s horribly clear to Jiyong that the younger faerie wants Jiyong to understand, but he can’t right now.

 

“Yes. The human is having dreams like yours. Sort of.” His brow furrows again and he looks down at the bowl. Jiyong follows suit and finds himself fascinated by the silvery liquid held within. The Dreamweaver tips the contents of the jar he’d grabbed from the shelf earlier into the bowl. “His dreams are pleasant.” He adds as an afterthought, and jiyong scowls.

 

“Then they are nothing like mine.” He says, and the Dreamweaver looks up at him. 

 

“Yours are not as horrible as you seem to remember them as being.” He’s being serious, and Jiyong wants to strangle him.

 

Dreamweaver or not, Jiyong knew his own dreams. He knew the pain that was laced throughout every moment, and he knew the feelings of loss that ripped through him every time he woke up. No matter what the faerie before him said; his dreams were  _ not _ good.

 

“How are the human’s similar.” He asks, his voice flat.

 

The Dreamweaver looks at him quickly before leaning forward and waving a hand over the surface of the bowl. “He dreams of you.” He says simply, and Jiyong (his curiosity getting the better of him) leans forward to look. 

 

He doesn’t see anything at first, just the silvery surface, which had barely been affected by whatever had been poured into it. Suddenly there’s a shimmer to the left of the bowl, followed by a ripple on the right, and Jiyong can clearly see himself leaning against a wall of some sort. In front of him is a man about his same height, and Jiyong barely flicks his eyes over him before his breath catches in his throat and his heart gives a painful  _ thump _ .

 

_ It is the man from his dreams _ .

 

It’s the man  _ of _ his dreams as well. The broad width of the man’s shoulders are clearly outlined by a light coming from behind him. Jiyong shifts slightly, wanting to see him from his own perspective, and the image in the bowl tilts, allowing Jiyong the perspective he wants. The man has his head tilted to the side slightly, and he’s holding a hand out to the dream Jiyong. Dream Jiyong has his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his mouth, and while this isn’t a dream Jiyong has had, it’s so familiar and so  _ possible _ that his heart aches watching it.

 

“What is this?” He asks softly. The Dreamweaver mutters something and shuffles around. Jiyong’s eyes are still focused on the bowl, where he watches as dream him says something that makes the man’s eyes light up in amusement.

 

“His last dream.” The Dreamweaver says, before dumping another substance into the bowl, causing Jiyong to lean back quickly with a glare. “It is very similar to  _ your _ last dream, as well.” He says, and Jiyong gives him a pointed look, but gives up when the faerie doesn’t even look up at him.

 

He looks back down and notes the change in the scene. It’s subtle, but just enough that if he hadn’t seen them both so close together, he wouldn’t have believed how similar they are. 

 

In this one, the lights are softer; less yellow and orange, more blue and grey. The positions are similar, but Jiyong is no longer leaning carelessly against the wall. Now he is stepping forward, one hand outstretched as though he’s too far from the man before him. The man is in the same position as before, but there seems to be an invisible barrier/distance between them. From the  _ real _ Jiyong’s viewpoint, he can see that they are almost touching. But he remembers this dream. He remembers the desperation of it.

 

He remembers how far the man had been from him and how he could do nothing to fix it.

 

“He’s a human?” Jiyong asks, the words finally clicking somewhere in his head. 

 

“Yes. He’s a human.” The Dreamweaver says as if Jiyong were suddenly very dumb. The ‘Couldn’t you tell?’ is hidden behind the words, but Jiyong hears it just as well as if the faerie had said it out loud.

 

“I had no idea.” He says, and the Dreamweaver tilts his head slightly before nodding and muttering something quietly to himself.

 

“Yes,” He says suddenly. “That makes sense. It makes your dreams make sense!” He jumps back from the bowl and whirls around to look at the wall behind him. 

 

“Please,” Jiyong says dryly, his eyes following the suddenly frantic faerie before him. “Don’t hesitate to explain it to me.”

 

The Dreamweaver pauses and turns back. “Sorry.” He says, and Jiyong inclines his head slightly. “You’re dreams are darker than his. In tone, in lighting, in everything. But they are the same dream. The negativity comes from a lack of understanding.” He makes a gesture with his hands, which Jiyong takes to mean he’s having trouble expressing what he wants to say. “The human thinks it is only a dream. He thinks you do not exist so it is easy for his dreams to stay positive. You, however, think he is real, but you can’t figure out why you can’t find him.”

 

Jiyong blinks and then looks back at the bowl. The images have fled, but he’s not really seeing anything anyway. “So he doesn’t think I’m real?” Jiyong asks, and if he’d been speaking with anyone else he’d be worried about the fact that his voice is cracking.

 

“You’re  _ clearly _ a faerie, my Lord.” The Dreamweaver says with a pointed look. Jiyong nods, deep in thought.

 

“Is this all you wanted to tell me?” He asks, and the Dreamweaver pauses, his eyes creasing in worry. After a moment he nods, and Jiyong turns and makes his way out of the room as quickly as he can.

***

 

“Have you ever had a dream that felt  _ so real _ that it  _ had _ to be a memory?” Daesung asks, and Youngbae pauses on his way to fiddle with the radio on the other side of their hotel room.

 

“Not that I can remember.” He says after a couple of seconds of thought. Daesung nods, and Youngbae continues toward the radio. “Why? Have you?”

 

“All the time.” He says lightly, and Youngbae turns toward him after finding the station he wants.

 

“Are you sure that they  _ aren’t _ memories?” He asks, and Daesung nods.

 

“I’m pretty certain I’d remember things that happened within the last five years.” He says, and Youngbae urges him to go on with a lift of his eyebrows. “I mean, it’s not like I’m younger in the dreams. I’m always me as I am  _ now _ .”

 

“You could be adding what you look like now to the dream. The brain is a strange place.” Youngbae says, and Daesung makes a face; he’s not so certain.

 

“I’ve been having them for the past couple of months.” He says, and Youngbae tilts his head to the side. Daesung can tell the moment that something clicks inside Youngbae’s mind; his face goes soft and he looks almost worried.

 

“You’ve been more tired than usual the past couple of months.” He says softly, and Daesung looks away from him and toward the large windows on the side.

 

He didn’t really want to have this conversation;  he had hoped that Youngbae could understand what was going on with him so that he didn’t have to explain. He couldn’t very well tell Youngbae that his dreams about Jiyong the faerie prince were so  _ real _ that he was starting to believe in faeries in the hopes that it would make Jiyong  _ real _ .

 

“Aren’t you supposed to only dream about faces you’ve seen?” He asks instead of responding to Youngbae’s statement. 

 

“So I’ve heard.” Youngbae says after a couple of seconds. He pushes away from the bureau he’d been leaning on and walks over to his own bed to sit across from Daesung. “But there are so many faces you’ve seen by now, Daesung, that it would be impossible to say that you  _ hadn’t _ actually seen whoever is in your dreams.”

 

Daesung nods absently, his mind whirring as it tries to place Jiyong’s face anywhere outside of his dreams. He couldn’t, but that just made Youngbae’s words sink in deeper. For some reason, imagining that Jiyong  _ wasn’t _ some type of imaginary person, but some face he’d seen somewhere before made it just  _ that _ much harder to deal with.

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Daesung says after a short while, and Youngbae nods. 

 

“Right, when’s our flight tomorrow?” He asks, and Daesung blinks himself back to the present and grins.

 

“You’ve already forgotten?” He asks, and Youngbae flushes.

***

 

“Sire.” Jiyong says with a slight inclination of his head. He’s in trouble, and he knows it. 

 

“Jiyong, it is good to see you outside of your rooms.” The king says, looking down on him. His face is wise and powerful and  _ fond _ ; Jiyong is never in trouble for very long.

 

“I’ve found that... _ sunlight _ is good for my complexion.” He says simply, brushing his fingers across his forehead for effect. The king looks down at him and something close to  _ sadness _ crosses over his features.

 

“You’ve been causing the servants a large amount of distress over the past few months, and I’ve noticed that you seem to be very distressed yourself.”

 

Jiyong shrugs lightly and looks down at his nails. “I needed to get outside, Sire. My complexion, as I said.”

 

The king is not convinced, but he knows he won’t get anything else from Jiyong. He lets out a weary sigh and waves his hand before him, dismissive. “While I’ve no doubt that your complexion has suffered mightily from your time away from the sun, it does not take away from the fact that you have been acting rather foul of late.” He says, and Jiyong scowls. “The Dreamweaver has alerted me to a recent development. Something that can both explain your recent rash temper and, hopefully fix it. It may also help to fix some of the  _ other _ issues we had been worried about.”

 

The king doesn’t say it, but he doesn’t need to. Not only had the Dreamweaver ( _ dirty little snitch) _ told him about the dreams, but the king felt that they held the answer to his  _ problem _ . His  _ marriage problem _ , to be exact. Jiyong’s scowl darkens and he glares up at the king. 

 

“While I’m sure your Majesty believes that you have found a very neat and tidy explanation and conclusion to any  _ problems _ I may present, let me remind you that this supposed  _ development _ is a human and therefore has no knowledge of our people, nor would this  _ proposed solution _ have any chance to become such a thing.”

The king observes him for a moment, his face impassive but not unkind. “I think that you will find, my young ward, that there are many things in this world that have a far higher chance of happening than you give them credit for.” The king pauses and Jiyong feels a moment of giddy excitement unfurling in his belly. “This is all I wanted to speak with you about today. Please try to be kinder to the servants; your melancholy is not their fault.”

 

Jiyong barely hears what the king says. He bows low and murmurs some type of pretty acquiescence and then turns and sweeps from the room.

 

“What is your plan, if I may be so bold as to ask?” The queen mutters from her husband’s left side. 

 

“You may  _ always _ be so bold.” He whispers back, a twinkle in his eyes. “I think I’ve just found a good project for our young Dreamweaver to work on.” He says, and the queen smiles up at him.

  
“Lovely. I’ll work on getting some rooms opened.” She says, turning to look forward again. “I wonder what humans like to eat?” She murmurs softly, and the king grins.


	3. Chapter 3

_ There are more colors than Daesung could ever imagine trying to count or name. The air is full of them and he can barely breathe for them. His eyes are caught by flashes of solid color that seem to flit around him faster than he can move. It’s not scary, it’s tantalizing: he wants to get closer to the the quickly-moving shape that his eyes can only barely catch. _

 

_ He’s in a room. A round white room where the only color comes from the stained-glass windows on the far wall. The shape is a person. It’s a body that still moves just too fast for him to get a good read on. But he doesn’t need the body to stop moving for him to know that it’s Jiyong. Jiyong who’s laughing now, light and airy and bright with promise and affection. He tries to tell Jiyong to slow down, but his voice comes out slow as molasses and it’s frustrating but Jiyong talks too fast so they’re a good pair. _

 

_ Jiyong slows down a fraction of a beat and Daesung can make out the bright purple of something  covering his body and the bright flash of intelligence in his eyes. He reaches forward to try and connect but he’s falling and he’s falling too hard to stop himself or for even Jiyong to stop him. _

 

Daesung wakes up with a jerk. His eyes slamming open and his heart beating wildly against his chest. For a moment he can’t remember where he is, and the dark room feels unfamiliar and is difficult for him to place. He forces himself to take a couple of calming breaths and as his heart slows down he’s able to place himself.

 

_ Prague _ .  _ Hotel room _ .  _ Vacation _ .

 

He shakes his head and sits up, swinging his legs over the edge and leaning forward to rub his eyes with his hands. His dreams had become more persistent since arriving in Europe. He’d been in Prague for 3 days, and his dreams had been harder and harder to disentangle from when he awoke. They weren’t just more frequent or intense: they were more specific. They seemed to point to specific places; meadows and forests and rooms.

 

He shakes his head and pushes off the bed to head to the bathroom. He had two more days in Prague before he moved on to his next stop. He’ll just get himself some water and get back in bed. There is a lot he wants to see on his first vacation in who knows how long. He’ll get some water and then get some sleep.

~~

 

_ Jiyong couldn’t stop moving. His wings fluttering faster and harder around him as he flits from side to side. His excitement is too strong for him to calm himself down. The sunlight streaming into the small opening in the trees filtered through his wings and left splashes of color that move with him as he moves around the man in front of him.  _

 

_ He’s not slowed down, not noticeably anyway, when he sees that they’re actually in his receiving room at the palace. He laughs, his excitement getting the better of him. It’s his favorite room and he wants Daesung to enjoy it. Daesung. Of course Daesung is the man in front of him. Jiyong’s wings are pulled back but he’s still moving too fast for Daesung to see him properly. Daesung says something but it’s too slow for him to understand, or maybe it’s because he’s moving too fast? He tries to speak but the words come out too quickly and he knows immediately that Daesung won’t understand him.  _

 

_ He slows down a little bit more and sees Daesung reach out for him, he’s still moving too fast for Daesung to reach but he puts out his own hand to try and connect. Before they can touch, he feels himself pulled back and away from Daesung. His eyes catch Daesung one last time, only to see a look of surprise and sadness crossing the man’s face. _

 

“What?!” Jiyong asks. His voice is craggy and sharp and just a little sad. Seunghyun steps back a pace before catching himself and moving back to the bed. 

 

“My Lord, the Dreamweaver wishes to speak with you.” He says. Jiyong throws him a blurry glare, but he doesn’t back down. “It is urgent.”

 

He doesn’t argue further. He’s stalking through the halls when it occurs to him that if the Dreamweaver needed to see him, he could have waited until his  _ dream _ was finished.

 

“Have you ever considered following your dreams?” The Dreamweaver asks. Jiyong stops short before he runs into the younger faerie who is in the middle of the hallway before him.

 

The question feels rhetorical, so he decides not to answer.

 

“I mean it. Have you ever felt like you could follow them to a certain place or that you knew where something was?” The Dreamweaver asks, his face bright and just a touch too intense.

 

“My last dream was in my receiving room. I go there often.” He says, and the Dreamweaver shakes his head before reaching forward and gripping Jiyong by the shoulders. He stiffens very obviously, but the younger faerie doesn’t seem to notice.

 

“Follow them. It’s important.” He says, before very abruptly letting go of Jiyong and turning to walk past him.

  
Jiyong stands there in the middle of the hall for a little while after the Dreamweaver leaves him.  _ Follow _ his dreams, huh? He can do that. That’s not too crazy.


	4. Chapter 4

_ They’re in a meadow. It’s bright and open and the sun is almost too much but Daesung doesn’t mind. When the sun is out it gives him the chance to admire Jiyong’s wings. They’re large and multi-colored like the glass in a church. Jiyong wears bright clothes to go along with his bright wings, and it’s almost painful to look at because everything about him shines so brightly, but Daesung loves it. _

 

_ There’s a stream with rocky banks right beside him, and the mountainous path that leads up and away kind of reminds him of the terrain he’d seen somewhere before. Jiyong is behind him now and he’s a little sad because he can’t turn around. He’s happy, though, because he knows Jiyong is still there with him. _

 

_ He realizes Jiyong is trying to talk to him, trying to tell him something about the stream beside them, maybe. He can’t really make out the words, but Jiyong’s voice is pleasant and calming and he tells Jiyong that. The startled laugh that he receives in return is attractive and throaty and full and Daesung closes his eyes to take it in.  _

 

Daesung opens his eyes slowly. The sun is just starting to peek up above the horizon and there is light falling through the opening in the curtains on the right side of the room. He groans and turns away, but after a couple more minutes he has to give up the dream he’d been enjoying as lost. He gets up and after stretching leisurely, pulls open the curtains to look out at Frankfurt. He feels well-rested and ready to attack the day.

 

The last place in his dream bothers him, though. He feels like he’s seen something similar in one of the guidebooks he and Youngbae had gone through when he was planning this trip. He turns away from the window and his eyes search out the packet of brochures he’d brought with him. They’re on the desk next to the TV, and he considers looking for another minute, but then his phone alarm goes off, and he shakes his head: He has a lot to do today.

~~

 

_ The meadow is one he’s never been in before, of this Jiyong is absolutely positive. Daesung looks up at him, his eyes scrunching just a little at the bright sunlight. The look on his face is otherwise almost reverent, and Jiyong preens under the attention.  _

 

_ He turns around to look out at the expanse of the meadow, trying to place it, when he hears the sound of a stream beside him. He turns to look and sees that there is a stream with rocky banks beside them. The sun is lesser now, and there’s a mountainous path leading up ahead of them. He’s standing behind Daesung and can’t help but to appreciate his broad shoulders and strong neck.  _

 

_ The area clicks in his mind suddenly, and he’s so excited that he tries to tell Daesung about the where they are. He’s in the middle of speaking when Daesung interrupts to tell him how nice his voice sounds. He’s so startled that he laughs in response.  _

 

He wakes up suddenly, his mouth curved into a smile. A chuckle escapes him as he slowly opens his eyes. Daesung, the very  _ real _ human, thought his voice was pleasant and calming. He grins to himself as he gets up and gets ready for the day. Night and sleep were slowly but very persistently becoming his favorite part of the day. He heads out to the back garden, evading all tries by those he passed to speak with them. 

  
It’s a warm day, and he swings himself up into the first tree he comes to, leaning back on a sturdy branch and staring at the clouds racing past in the sky above him. He sighs when he remembers that he has to go riding later in the day, but comforts himself with the knowledge that the harder he works himself the easier it will be to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_ Jiyong grabs his hands and pulls him closer, but he’s still too far away. They’re in a forest today, and Daesung notices a number of rocky outcroppings. He can’t hear anything except Jiyong’s laugh and voice, but he’s happy and that’s all that matters. _

 

_ They’re sitting on a large flat rock now, and the sun is beating down on them. Daesung can’t really see Jiyong because he’s beside him and he can’t turn his head. It’s frustrating. Jiyong is even more gorgeous in full sunlight than he normally is and he wants desperately to turn and look at the faerie. His head, however, refuses to budge and he feels his good mood start to disappear. He’s frustrated and everything is suddenly too bright and too much. It’s too loud, it’s too bright and it’s too much.  _

 

Daesung wakes up to the sound of his alarm going off and sunlight streaming unyieldingly through the open curtains. He curses himself for leaving the curtains open the night before, and pushes out of bed. He had been out late the night before, walking all over the city. He sighs as he looks out at Munich. He sighs again and turns to head to the shower. He only had the one day and night in Munich, which he’s only a little upset about. Tired though he was the night before, he’s definitely not upset about his choice.

He grabs some clothes and heads to the bathroom. Once he left he needed to find his way to the train station and from there he’d be on his way to Venice.

~~

 

_ Daesung is so close that he can almost smell him. Jiyong’s mouth opens of its own accord and he laughs at himself. Daesung grins up at him and Jiyong grabs his hands, thrilled to no end that he could actually touch the man.. He squints up at the sky, allowing his hands a moment to get used to the feel of Daesung’s. He decides to try his luck and tugs, pulling Daesung closer. But no matter how much closer Daesung gets he’s still too far away. _

 

_ He turns his head away briefly and when he looks back up they’re on a flat rock in a place that Jiyong deep down recognizes. He’s facing Daesung on the rock, and has an unobstructed view of the man’s profile. He wants to reach forward and trace the outline but his arms are too heavy and he can’t lift them even a fraction of an inch without considerable strain. He sees Daesung’s mouth fall into a frown, but he can’t do anything but make sounds. Daesung’s face scrunches up in pain as though something is happening but Jiyong can’t see any problems. He tilts his head to the side and tries to ask what’s wrong, but then Daesung is gone and he’s standing on his favorite balcony. _

 

_ He looks out across the balcony but it’s so much bigger than normal; he can’t see the end. He turns around, hoping to get out, but the door isn’t there and he’s trapped. His heart starts pounding and he tries to move forward but finds his feet stuck to the spot. He takes in a deep breath, trying to fight down his panic with rationality, but he has trouble becoming calm. He’s about to scream in frustration when his struggling to move finds success and his legs move. He’s not expecting to succeed so instead of taking a step forward, he flails and falls forward. _

 

Jiyong opens his eyes and blinks groggily. His brain is a little foggy, but he remembers panicking because Daesung had looked scared. He rubs a hand over his eyes and stares at the ceiling. He’d spent hours the day before sparring with Seunghyun before spending the majority of the evening in the library. He’d found a particularly promising section in the palace library that was dedicated to humans. With a yawn he forces himself to get out of bed, stumbling on the way as he finds himself caught in his sheets.

  
He makes his way to the bathroom and decides to draw himself a bath. He deserved one, after all. After his bath, he muses as he rifles through his collection of soaps, he will go to the library and search out information on dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

_ The mountain path was endless. It stretched up and up and away and Daesung is convinced he’ll never reach the top. He grabs a nearby branch and uses it to pull himself further. He’s not sure exactly why he’s walking up the mountain but he knows it’s important and he’ll do anything he can to get to the top. He hears a stream next to him and turns to look at it. There are rocks along the banks and he smiles as he sees something fast and colorful flit past, following the stream up. Jiyong. He needed to get to the top to be with Jiyong. _

 

Daesung wakes up gently and well-rested. It’s still early, he can tell by the lack of sunlight in the room, but he’s not upset about that. This most recent dream had been good. Comforting almost. It almost dared him to believe that he was getting closer and closer to actually meeting Jiyong.

 

He scoffs at himself for being so romantic, but he still gets out of bed with a spring in his step. He had one more night in Venice before he moved on to Athens. One more day to explore the city and check out the boats. He checks the clock and makes a noise of surprise: it was 6:45. There’s definitely nothing open for him now, but he’s meeting a friend at 8:30...A good morning walk could take care of the extra time.

 

He hums happily to himself as he gets ready for the day, and wonders if he should thank his dream for his extra chipper mood.

~~

 

_ Jiyong finds himself flying as quickly as he can up the stream. It’s a path he’s taken many times before, but never has it felt so long. He has to get to the top though. It’s important that he make it to the top of the mountain in a timely fashion. It’s why he’s flying instead of walking. The stream is the fastest path up to the top, but even though it’s the fastest it’s still taking too long. He pushes himself to go faster, but he’s not really made for this type of flight. He bounces from bank to bank, his wings and body naturally steering him in a zigzag pattern up the stream. He feels a little frustrated by this, but he’s comforted by the fact that once he gets to the top, he’ll have reached his goal. _

 

He groans as he comes awake. He’d wanted  _ so desperately _ to get to the top of the mountain. He recognizes it fully now; it’s at the edge of the gardens and is in one of the few areas that has a mirror of itself in the human world. The thought makes him excited, but he can’t let himself get too excited for fear that he’ll be disappointed.

 

“It’s good of you to join us.” The King says a few hours later. Jiyong sweeps fully into the room after being announced and takes a seat by the Queen. 

 

“I’ve been busy of late.” He murmurs, and the Queen raises an eyebrow at the King who hides a smile.

 

“Well, I’m glad you’ve found the time to visit with us, then.” He says finally, and Jiyong bows his head.

 

“I’m thinking of visiting the world mirror.” Jiyong says after a moment of contemplation. The King looks at him steadily, his hands folded loosely with each other in front of his mouth.

 

“What do you think you will find?” He asks, and Jiyong looks up at him directly and shrugs. 

 

“I’m not sure, Sire. But I’ve spent plenty of time skulking around the library here to last me a day at least.” He says, and the King nods.

 

“Very well, be careful, though!” He cautions, and Jiyong nods.

  
“I plan to be.” He says, before leaning forward to pick at the fruit in the center of the table.


	7. Chapter 7

_ The end of the path looms suddenly ahead and Daesung almost cries out in happiness. He practically skips the last few yards and stops at the top with his hands on his hips. He looks around him and finds himself in a small meadow. He turns to his left and his eyes land on a large mirror floating a few feet off the ground. He gets closer, expecting to see himself and the meadow behind him, but instead he’s greeted by Jiyong’s smiling face. _

 

_ Jiyong reaches forward and places his hand against his side of the mirror, and Daesung reaches forward to do the same. They aren’t touching, the glass is separating them, but it feels like the closest they’ve ever been. Daesung lets his eyes trace over what he can see of Jiyong and feels himself grin as his eyes alight on the bright oranges and pinks of the faerie’s outfit. _

 

Athens, Daesung decides with a sigh as he pushes himself out of bed, is the best choice he’s made this entire trip. He stretches languidly and then turns his attention to the balcony on the far side of the room. He’d spent a long time out there the night before, staring out at the old city and the night sky. Today he’s going for a hike, and he’s so anxious to get going that he’s shaking as he packs some food into his backpack. 

 

After a few moments of thought he grabs an extra shirt and pants, just in case. He laughs at himself and shakes his head to try and clear it. It’s going to be a nice day, and he’s going to go for a hike up in the mountains to the east of the city. It shouldn’t be too difficult, he knows, but the fact that the pictures in the brochures match the dreams he’s been having…

 

They’re just dreams, he knows, but it’s always fun to hope, right?

~~

 

_ Jiyong stands up from his place in the grass and looks at the mirror just a few feet in front of him. He moves forward and looks through the mirror to the world on the other side. It looked much the same as where Jiyong was, though perhaps the meadow looked a bit smaller. He barely stifles a gasp when Daesung suddenly appears from out of the forest. Daesung comes over to the mirror slowly, his face open and searching. Jiyong presses his hand against the face of the mirror, hoping against hope that he can reach through and have Daesung be right there for him to touch.  _

 

_ Daesung copies his action, pressing his hand against the glass and staring at him with wonder in his eyes. Jiyong tries to speak to him, to find a way to bridge the gap and get Daesung on his side of the mirror, but Daesung isn’t listening or can’t hear him. He smiles brightly and Jiyong watches as he rakes his eyes over him. Jiyong feels a shiver of anticipation wash over him at the perusal, but it’s soon over with and he’s left standing there with his eyes closed and the feeling of Daesung slowly fading. _

 

Jiyong shakes his head roughly and sits up slowly. He’d fallen asleep in the meadow by the mirror between worlds. He runs a hand through his hair and stands up to stretch out his wings and his back. He looks around the meadow and lets out a slight yawn as he takes in his surroundings.

 

The meadow isn’t large, but it’s big enough that it had taken him a few hours to find the mirror. Unlike in his dreams, which he knows aren’t ever going to be 100% realistic, the mirror isn’t really a large mirror hovering a few feet off the ground. Instead, the mirror is a stretch of space set just off center; it’s closer to the opposite side of the meadow from where he enters. Instead of being clear, the mirror shows a hazy image of the other world. It’s like a rip between worlds and it feels like he’s looking through water to the other side. He looks over at the mirror, and feels a grin cross his face; today felt auspicious.

 

This is the first time he’s woken up in the meadow. He’s visited a few times since deciding to search it out, but last night he’d found himself too tired to leave and had fallen asleep staring at the stars. He runs his hand through his hair again and decides to go look through the mirror again. His dream had been very positive, so maybe he’ll have some luck on his side today.

  
He moves in front of it, but before he looks he turns out to the edge of the forest again, wondering for the 100th time if he’d been crazy to put his faith in the Dreamweaver. He’s still contemplating this when he hears a gasp from behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

The path Daesung chooses winds around the base of the mountain before meandering up and toward a temple. He stops there briefly to rest before moving on and up. By noon he’s pretty high up and he’s stumbled across a side path that looks promising. It’s smaller and splits off and goes up toward the summit. It’s much less-used than the path he’d been on, but he’d woken up in the mood for an adventure, so he throws caution to the wind and starts down it. After a few yards he finds a stream that runs almost parallel to the path he’s on. He shrugs off the similarities between it and the one in his dream and continues up the path.

 

He stumbles to a stop a half hour later, however, when he sees a large flat rock jutting out into the stream. It’s exactly the same as the one from his dream, and he knows for a fact that there is no way he’d seen it in any pictures. He takes a deep breath and decides that maybe he’s due for another break. He sits down on the rock and pulls out some of the food he’d packed. He can’t brush this off as a strange coincidence, and it unsettles him just as much as it excites him. He looks up the path and tries to see the end.

 

It doesn’t look too far off.

 

When he finishes eating he takes his time getting up and checks the time: 2pm. With a smile and a new spring in his step, Daesung strikes forward on the path with renewed vigor. He sings himself a light song as he picks his way along the path and up toward what he can see is a clearing up ahead. A short half hour later he finds himself at the end of the path. He fights the urge to pose there with his hands on his hips like he had in his most recent dream, but he feels his heartbeat quicken as he takes in his surroundings.

 

It looks exactly like his dream.

 

He takes in a deep breath and looks to his left. He’s only momentarily disappointed not to find a large mirror hovering a few feet off the ground. He shakes the disappointment off, however, and walks forward. He notices that in the space he expected the mirror to be, the air seemed wavy, almost fuzzy. After looking at it for a few moments and from different angles, he realizes that what he sees through the hazy air is not exactly the same as what is  _ actually _ on the other side of it. His breath catches in his throat as he allows himself to imagine that it must be what the mirror in his dream  _ actually _ looks like. He returns to the side of the mirror that he’d started on and finds himself looking at a very colorful back.

 

He lets out an audible gasp as his mind whirs to catch up with what he’s seeing. At the sound, the man on the other side of the mirror tenses before turning around to face him. When their eyes meet Daesung’s hand slaps over his mouth in shock: staring back at him, and equally as confused, is Jiyong.

 

“Are you real?” Jiyong asks, his voice soft and almost reverent as he steps closer to the mirror. Daesung finds his voice just as alluring as his dreams had predicted. He steps forward as well, nodding in agreement as he lets his hand drop from his mouth.

 

“Are you?” He breathes, and a smile quirks up the corners of Jiyong’s mouth. 

 

“Very.” He says eagerly. He comes even closer and raises his hand up, but hesitates before touching the surface. “I’ve been coming here every few days.” He starts softly, and Daesung gets as close to the mirror as he dares. “Once I figured out where it was...You’re actually here.” He smiles, his eyes caressing Daesung as they take him in. “I haven’t tried going through…” He trails off and his fingers twitch where they are; so close to the surface but just far enough away that the illusion of closeness can remain if he can’t push his hand through.

 

“Where are you?” Daesung asks, practicality breaking through his dumbfounded brain. “I’m in Athens, Greece…” He shrugs, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

 

“Athens?” Jiyong repeats, cocking his head to the side as he considers him. “I’m on the outskirts of the palace grounds. We don’t really have a name for where we are...but I’ve heard of Athens.” He looks down for a moment as though trying to understand where Daesung is.

 

“You’ve been having the dreams too?” He asks, and Jiyong looks up at him before nodding. He lets out a shaky breath and raises his hand up in a gesture mimicking Jiyong’s. “This is wild.” He says.

 

Jiyong bites his lip and it looks like he’s making up his mind about something. “Come through to me.” He says suddenly. Daesung feels his eyes fly wide open at the request. He watches as Jiyong’s eyes flick over his face and rest on his surprised expression. After a moment, his expressive face shuts down and suddenly Daesung is looking at an impassive mask.

 

Daesung takes in the change of expression and then allows his eyes to wander briefly and hesitatingly down the length of the man before him. He takes in the brightly colored, loose-fitting clothing and a grin finds its way onto his face. He looks up and sees Jiyong register the emotion. A small, hopeful smile slides across Jiyong’s face and he uncurls his hand and presses it gently against the mirror. 

 

Daesung watches as Jiyong’s hand pauses against the surface before slowly pushing through and suddenly Jiyong’s hand is before him. The mirror is rippling around it and Daesung only hesitates for a moment, his eyes moving from the hand up to Jiyong’s hopeful face. With a smile he presses his hand into Jiyong’s, and is surprised by a tingle like electricity that shoots up his arm at the contact.

 

“Come through.” Jiyong says soothingly, and Daesung takes a deep breath and steps forward. Jiyong pulls on his hand as he moves forward and suddenly he’s passing through the mirror and it feels cool and dry at the same time as it feels wet and warm. 

 

“So, now what?” He asks as he steps through and feels himself land on solid ground once again. He looks up and is suddenly enveloped in a multi-colored hug.

~~

 

“Now you’re here.” Jiyong says, still struck dumb by the whole thing. One second he’d been standing there with his heart in his hands, and the next Daesung is through the mirror and in his arms.

 

Daesung just nods as Jiyong pulls out of the hug, his hands left on Daesung’s shoulders. The man is just as beautiful as his mind had told him. He sighs, happily, and lifts his hand up to touch Daesung’s face.

 

“You’re just as beautiful in reality as you were in my dreams.” Daesung says, his voice soft as he reaches forward to touch Jiyong’s face in return. “And so colorful.” He adds, a bright smile causing his eyes to scrunch up. 

 

Jiyong laughs and pulls back completely, his hand trailing down Daesung’s arm to link with one of Daesung’s hands.

“Only for you.” He says, a secretive smile on his face.

~

 

The King and Queen eye each other over the heads of the crowd. They’re on opposite sides of the hall, watching the proceedings. Jiyong hadn’t returned from the mirror between worlds the night before, and when they had found out, the palace (and indeed the entire city) had fallen into a full blown panic.  The King catches sight of Jiyong’s colorful wings carving a path through the crowd and he lets out a sigh in relief. They’d organized a search for the young Prince and had just been getting ready to send them out, when a shout had gone up at the rear of the hall.

 

“Sire.” Jiyong says as he passes, a young man on his arm. The King smiles back, nodding in welcome.

 

“It’s horribly romantic.” The Queen mutters a few months later, dabbing tears from her eyes. The King would agree, but he’s trying to pretend he’s not crying at his ward’s wedding.


End file.
